Going Local: Leading and Managing International NGO Localization

• In Event: Leadership

Abstract

This paper explores how international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) have responded to demands for the localization of aid. The localization agenda is based on the assumption that sustainable solutions to major development challenges are more likely to emerge when local actors have greater ownership of the process. Localization also purports to shift the power dynamics in international development and humanitarian aid by decreasing the influence of Western donors and agencies. Key benefits of the localization agenda include increased cultural sensitivity to local conditions, the establishment of ‘downward accountability,’ and an improved tailoring of aid programs to support existing local assets and sustainability practices.

Considering the different meanings associated with localization, it is important to understand how this agenda is interpreted and implemented across different INGOs. Localization can be implemented in various ways by changing funding patterns, establishing new coordination mechanisms, engaging in capacity-building, or transforming organizational forms. Building on prior research (e.g., Dijkzeul 2021; Tran and AbouAssi 2021; Moshtari, Zaefarian, and Vanpouke), we examine how INGO localization efforts are shaped (and often hindered) by the presence of common forms and norms that pervade the INGO sector (Mitchell, Schmitz, and Vijfeijken 2020; Schmitz and Mitchell 2022). For example, governance structures often emphasize upward financial accountability to funders over downward accountability to affected communities, while governing boards are not always aligned with senior leadership and other stakeholders about the need or urgency for change. Localization may also threaten traditional income streams of INGOs by potentially reducing their roles and relevance in administering aid programs.

This research will develop three case studies of INGOs to examine their experiences with localization, focusing on what their leadership views as the key drivers and barriers to localization. The diverse cases include organizations adopting a variety of distinct organizational forms: HelpAge, an advocacy organization focusing on the rights of older people, One World Together, a social enterprise platform that provides financial support for partner organizations, and Corus International, a group of five organizations specializing in humanitarian aid and development. The case study approach will move beyond the existing overall assessments of the localization agenda and offer a more fine-grained understanding of actual localization experiences from an organizational management and leadership perspective. Evidence for this research will be drawn from strategic documents of INGOs and key informant interviews. Deriving implications for current and future INGO reform efforts, the research situates INGO experiences with localization in a broader context of the transformation of the sector as it continues to confront persistent demands for substantial changes to traditional INGO governance and financial models.

References

Dijkzeul, Dennis. 2021. "Making Localization Work: The Everyday Practice of Three NGOs in South Sudan and Northern Uganda." Frontiers in Political Science 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2021.716287. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2021.716287.
Mitchell, George E., Hans Peter Schmitz, and Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken. 2020. Between Power and Irrelevance: The future of transnational NGOs. New York: Oxford University Press.
Moshtari, Mohammad, Ghasem Zaefarian, and Evelyne Vanpouke. "How Stakeholder Pressure Affects the Effectiveness of International-Local Nongovernmental Organization Collaboration in Localization of Humanitarian Aid." Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 0 (0): 08997640231196886. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640231196886. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08997640231196886.
Schmitz, Hans Peter, and George E. Mitchell. 2022. "Understanding the Limits Transnational NGO Power: Forms, Norms, and the Architecture." International Studies Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viac042.
Tran, Long, and Khaldoun AbouAssi. 2021. "Local organizational determinants of local-international NGO collaboration." Public Management Review 23 (6): 865-885. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2019.1708436. https://remote.baruch.cuny.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=150040190&site=ehost-live.

Authors

• George Mitchell, Baruch College

• Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken, Five Oaks Consulting

• Hans Peter Schmitz, North Carolina State University